Cotton-chopper attachment for cultivators.



J. GOODRUM. COTTON SHOPPER ATTAGHMENT FOR GULTIVATORS. APPLICATION FILEDHBA, 1914.

1 1 l 5,425. Patented oct. 27, 1914.

AilllllllilllllllllllllIlllllll'l@ i 51m vanto@ u THE MORRIS PETERSCoPHOTo-L1THO., WASHINGTUN, D. cv

, vJ. GOODRU-M. vCOTTON GHOPPER ATTACHMENT POR GULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED FBBA, 1914. v

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J. GOODRUM.

COTTON GHOPPER ATTACHMENT FOR GULTIVATORS.

APPLICATION FILED FEBA. 1914.

Patented 0015.211914.

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`journaled at the forward vvator beams and the JOHN Gocnnuivr, or Goan,suoneria.

COTTON-CHOPPER ATTACHMENT FOR CLTIVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 27, 191 et.

Application filed February 4, 1914. Serial No. 816,447.

To all 'Lv/0m 'it may con-cern Be it known that 1, JOI-IN GooDnUM, acitizen of the United States7 residing at Gore, in the county ofChattooga and State of Georgia, have invented new and usefulimprovements in Cotton- Chopper' Attachments for Cultivators, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention has relation to cotton chopper attachments especiallyadapted to be applied to the frames of cultivators and it consists inthe novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide an attachment of the characterindicated which is of simple `structural arrangement and which when inposition upon the cultivator may be readily guided or directed duringthe'chopping operation.

With the above object in view the attachment comprises a shaft adaptedto be portion of the cultivator too'ether with means for rotating 'thesaid shaft from one of the supporting wheels of the cultivator. A shaftis journaled at the lower portion of the frame of the ycultivator andextends approximately parallel with the cultivator beams. Means isprovided for supporting the rear portion of the last mentioned shaftfrom the cultilast mentioned shaft carries chopping hoes or blades.Means is provided for rotating the second mentioned shaft from the firstmentioned shaft.

In the accompanying drawing z-Figure 1 is a top plan view of acultivator with the chopper applied. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of thesame. Figs. 3, et, 5 and 6 are detailed views of the several features ofthe chopper.

The cultivatorto which the chopper attachment may be applied is of lanyconventional form and includes supporting'wheels, 1, a tongue 2, an archbar 3 and beams 4 which are pivotally connected with the end portions ofthe arch bar in any desired manner.

The chopper comprises bearings 5 which are adapted to be secured to theside portions of the arch bar 3 and a shaft 6 is journaled for rotationin the said bearings. A brace 7 extends from the intermediate portion ofthe arch bar 3 to the intermediate portion of the shaft 6 and serves tomaintain the intermediate portion of the said shaft in proper alinementwith the said bearings. A clutch member S is fixed to the shaft 6 and aclutch member 9 is slidably mounted upon the said shaft. The clutchmember 9 carries a sprocket wheel 10 and a spring 11 bears at one en dagainst the side of the sprocket wheel 10 and at its other end against astop 12 fixed lto the. end portion of the shaft 6. The spring 11 isunder tension with a tendency to hold the clutch member 9 in engagementwith the clutch member 8. A sprocket wheel 13 is mounted for rotation inunison with one of the supporting wheels 1 and a sprocket chain 14 istrained around the sprocket wheels 13 and 10. ITherefore it will be seenthat as the supporting wheel 1 to which the sprocket wheel 13 isattached is rotated rotary move* ment is transmitted through the chain14 to the wheel 10 and when the clutch member 9 is in en agement withthe clutch member 8 the sha t 6 is rotated. r1`he engaging adjacent endsof the clutch members 8 and 9 are so disposed thatthe clutch member S)may move in a rearward direction without turning the clutch member 8 butas soon as the clutch member 9 rotates in a forward direction the clutchmember 8 is engaged whereby the shaft 6 is rotated. Therefore in backingthe cultivator or in turning it around should the clutch member 9 rotaterearwardly the shaft 6 is not turned but as soon as the cultivator movesin a forward direction the shaft 6 automatically begins to turn.

A bracket 15 is carried under the rear portion of the tongue 2 and astub shaft 16 is journaled for rotation in the said brackets. r1`he stubshaft 16 carries at its rear end a beveled gear wheel 17 which mesheswith a beveled gear Wheel 13 mounted upon the shaft 6. Therefore it willbe seen that as the shaft 6 rotates rotary movement is transmitted tothemeshing gear wheels 17 and 1S to the stub shaft 16.

Hangers 19 are secured at their upper ends to the side portions of thearch bar 3 and the said hangers support at their lower ends the membersof a globular bearing 20. A shaft 21 is provided with a ball 22 which isjournaled in the globular bearing 20 and while the shaft 21 is freetoswing with relation to the bearing 20 the said ball prevents the saidshaft from moving longitudinally through the said bearings. A sprocketwheel 23 is carried at the forward end of the shaft 21 and a sprocketwheel 24:

intermediate portion of the shaft 2l.

is Xed to the intermediate portion of the stub shaft 16. A sprocketchain 25 is trained around the sprockets 23 and 24: and is adapted totransmit rotary movement from the stub shaft 16 to the shaft 2l. Arms 26are pivotally and adjustably connected with the intermediate portions ofthe beams h/land the inner ends of the said arms 26 are provided withbearings 27 which receive the The arms 26 are so disposed that the shaft2 is at all times approximately maintained midway between the beams 4l.Consequently the beams are swung upon their pivotalV connections withthe arch bar 3 the shaft 2l is moved correspondingly. lnasmuch as theshaft 2l may have limited universal movement with relation to thebearing 2O by reason of the ball 22 located in the bearing` 2O the rearend of the shaft 2l may rise and fall with t-he rear end portions of thebeams 4: as the said beams move over uneven places at the surface of thesoil.

A head 28 is fixed to the rear portion of the shaft 2l and carries aseries ofresilient arms 29. These Aarms are disposed approximatelyradially upon t-he periphery of Athe head 28 and each arm isprovided ata point between its ends with a coil 30 which adds to the resiliency ofthe arm. Each arm is provided at its outer end` with an angularlyrdisposed extremity 3l anda chopping blade 32 is mounted upon eachextremity 31. Therefore it will be seen that as the cultivator movesover the ground the sha-ft 2l is rotated and the head 2S is carriedaround with the said shaft. As the blades 32 carried by the arms 29co-me successively in contact with the surface of the soil thesuperfluous plants in the row of plants are chopped out and those plantswhich pass through the intervals between the arms 29 are permitted toremain standing,` in the row. Thus the plants are thinned. and thecultivator shovels which are carried by the beams 4L properly cultivateor pass the soil toward the plants which are left standing,l in the row.

The beams et may be supplied with anyy kind of cultivating blades. Theforward blades may be used for removing the soil from the oppositesideofthe row of plants and after this has been done the blades 32 `willremove the superfiuous plants from the row and the blades which arelocated at the rear portions of the beams l will cast the soll backtoward the roots or plants which are stub shaft `journaled upon theframe and e operatively connected with the first mentioned shaft, a.shaft `journaled for rotation below the frame, means for rotating thelast mentioned shaft from the stub shaft, chopping elements carried bythe last mentioned shaft, and arms adaptedto be pivotally con.

nected withA the swinging members vof the frame and having bearingswhich receive the intermediate portion of the last mentioned shaft.

2. In combination with awheel mounted;

frame, having beams pivotally connected thereto, a shaft journaledtransverselyv of the frame, a clutch member fixed to the shaft, a springclutch member slidably mounted upon the. shaft and adapted to engage thefirst mentioned clutch member,

means for rotating` the last mentionedv clutch member from one of thesupporting Wheels of the frame, a stub shaft )ournaled upon the frame,means operatively connecting4 the, l

stub shaft with the first mentioned shaft, a

globular bearing supported upon the. frame.`

a shaft passing through said bearing and having a ball which is receivedin thesald bearing, means for operating the last men-V tioned shaft fromthe stub shaft, choppingl elements carried by the last mentioned shaft,arms adapted to be pivotally connected with the beams ofthe frame andbearings carried by the said arms and receiving the in-M,

tei-mediate `portion of the last mentioned shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of, two witnesses.

JOHN GOODRUM. Witnesses: y S. B. l-ln-NLEY, GORDON ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

